The grand cover up: How rogue police officers deliberately evade justice

From left: Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen and Deputy Inspector General Kenya Police Service Eliud Lagat address a past press briefing. [File, Standard]

The unfortunate death of Kevin Maseri is the latest in a series of similar incidents of Kenyans being brutalised by police officers who are hardly held to account.

So entrenched is the blue code of silence within the National Police Service (NPS) that the officer who pulled the trigger, snuffing out the life of Maseri, might not be punished, thanks to the unwritten rule among police officers not to report colleagues’ errors, misconduct and crime.

The deceased was shot outside an entertainment joint in Kitengela, Kajiado County, in the wee hours of January 25, 2026. The young man, who was in the company of a friend, succumbed to his injuries four days later.

Maseri’s buddy is fighting for his life in the hospital after sustaining a bullet wound. It is said a confrontation ensued in the pub where the two men were thrown out for allegedly creating a disturbance.

Among those inside the entertainment spot were police officers among them, Samuel Bett, the deputy director of operations at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters, along Kiambu Road.

It is said Maseri and the other victim were shot by the officers when they returned to the entertainment joint minutes later after being thrown out.

A CCTV footage recorded at around 2 am shows the two men hurling stones while approaching the pub as gunshots rent the air, prompting the duo to retreat. It has been alleged that the officers pursued the two men and shot them.

Maseri was reportedly shot three times, while the other victim sustained a single gunshot wound. Even as the Independent Policing Oversight Authority investigate the shooting, police themselves have maintained studious silence, raising fears of a cover-up attempt.

Familiar pattern

Regrettably, the incident is the latest in a familiar pattern where officers go rogue, terrorise, maim and even kill, and rarely is action taken against them, even as more and more families are left bereaved or devastated.

The civil society is expressing concern at the lack of action whenever such brutality is meted out on helpless Kenyans who, seemingly, are “being cornered into submission” ahead of the 2027 General Election.

While accusing police officers of covering up for each other, Suba Churchill, executive director of the Kenya National Civil Society Centre, says officers, having the advantage of the power of the gun, have repeatedly committed atrocities against civilians and go unpunished.

“As a civil society, we want police to hold the highest level of accountability. National Police Service has to be cognizance to the fact that people are innocent until proven guilty, and that is the dictum of our Constitution,” said Suba, who is also the chairperson of the Horn of Africa Civil Society.

He is worried that unless decisive action is taken against rogue officers, police brutality might not stop.

“Cases of indiscriminate shooting are so common; meaning police brutality will continue until someone is held to account, serving as a deterrence to police missteps,” he added.

The Kitengela shooting came just weeks after police officers, accompanied by goons,s disrupted a church service at St Peter’s African Church of Kenya (ACK) in Witima of Othaya, Nyeri County, where former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and a host of local politicians were in attendance.

One week later, nobody has been arrested in connection with the incident that left children and the elderly teargassed, and several vehicles damaged, despite Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja promising swift action would be taken.

According to the police boss, the incident was a shame in a country where respect for the rule of law in none negotiable. The IG directed the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) to move with speed and commence investigations with the deserved urgency. The same was expected of the local police led by the Regional Criminal Investigations Officer based in Nyeri.

Church service

“The NPS wishes to remind Kenyans that it abhors violence in all its forms and those found to have perpetrated this callous disruption of the church service shall be dealt with firmly and swiftly as per the law,” said Kanja.

In a country where the right to assemble and worship is enshrined under Chapter Four of the Constitution, it was unbelievable that political machinations could turn churches into theatres of fear.

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i joined political and religious leaders, human rights advocates, and defenders in condemning the incident.

“This incident is a clear violation of the constitutional freedoms of worship, assembly, and movement. Those responsible must be independently investigated and held accountable without delay. Kenya must always choose dialogue, the rule of law, and respect for its people, not fear and force!” he said, noting that it was a recipe for anarchy ahead of next year’s general elections.

The Witima incident came about two weeks after a disturbing video surfaced showing a group of people playing pool being assaulted by armed police officers on the night of January 10, 2026.

Plain clothe police officers that stormed a sunday service where former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had attended. [Courtesy]

The CCTV footage captured the youths dressed in red hoodies and black clothing, inside a building before appearing unsettled moments later and attempting to flee.

Shortly afterwards, armed police officers were seen entering the establishment, ordering all the young men to lie on the floor.

Identity cards

The officers then ordered them to produce their national identity cards, which the young men did not have at the time.

This prompted the officers to use cue sticks to assault the young men, some of whom lost their money and other valuables.

The incident attracted public uproar with calls for the arrest of the officers involved in the brazen brutality.

Kanja bowed to pressure and took action by announcing that at least six officers will face administrative action.

In a statement issued on January 31, National Police Service spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said the decision follows a report by IAU, which found the six officers culpable.

“The Inspector General of the National Police Service has accepted the IAU’s recommendations and ordered immediate administrative action against the senior officers,” Muchiri stated.

Among those facing internal disciplinary action are the Tinderet sub-County Police Commander, Nandi Hills Officer Commanding Station (OCS), Songoh OCS, Officer in Charge of the Rapid Deployment Unit Songoh Camp, Officer in Charge of the GSU Songoh Camp, and Officer in Charge of the Anti-Stock Theft Unit Songoh Camp.

According to Muchiri, the disciplinary action deliberately targets local commanders to ensure they are held fully accountable for conduct within their jurisdictions.

As the cries for justice grow louder, so are the police emboldened more, senselessly unleashing terror on victims, many of them innocent.

Rogue officers carried away by the illusion of the power of the gun commit atrocities that have resulted in unnecessary death and injuries, leaving the affected families in pain and financially weakened.

In the face of the brutality, Suba is cautioning police against denying Kenyans their rights, liberties and freedoms as enshrined in Chapter Four of the Constitution.

Human rights

“As the civil society, we want the police to respect rights, freedoms of association and assembly. They should not appear to be brutal to citizens enjoying these rights. Sadly, there is no serious attempt to hold the perpetrators to account,” said Suba.

Human rights advocates and defenders have repeatedly warned police against unprofessional conduct.

Late last year, Defenders Coalition released research that showed more than half of the Kenyan population feels the country’s human rights record is deteriorating under the Kenya Kwanza regime.

That 54 per cent of Kenyans rated the situation as either “bad” or “very bad” in a survey, which concluded that Kenya’s civic space journey since 2010 has been both inspiring and cautionary.

The survey was conducted in March 2025 in Nairobi, Nyeri, Machakos, Meru, Nyeri, Nakuru, Busia, Kisumu, Kericho and Kakamega counties, where 23 per cent of the respondents rated the country’s civic space as either “good” or “very good”.

Another 22 per cent stated that the general condition of civic space in Kenya was neither good nor bad.

When disaggregated per county, Nakuru (83.2 per cent), Nairobi (70.8 per cent), Meru (68.9 per cent) and Mombasa (64.7 per cent), stood out as the counties with the highest number of respondents rating the general conditions of the civic space as bad or very bad.

Kericho County was the only one to rate the general conditions of the civic space in Kenya as very good.